Billing-card.



L. w. GATQHELL. BILLING CARD.

MINI Lithw FINO .w20 MQtl-L FINO N20 A TTOHNEYS KWWL@ LESLIE WINFIELD GATCHELL, OF vNEWBElIEtGr, OREGON.

BILLING-CARD.

Application filed August 10, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LESLIE W. GATCHELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newberg, in the county of Yarnhill and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Billing- Cards, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a self-addressed billing card, such as used by light and power or companies using a monthly statement system, by the use of which an envelop for the bill is made unnecessary.

A further object o-f my invention is to provide such a bill which will form its own envelop when originally sent tothe customer, and will also be self-inclosing and self-addressing, when returned to the customer as a receipt, after the bill has been paid and the stub detached for thel files ofthe com- .pa-ny.

Vith these and other objects in view, my invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved billing card in its open position. Fig. 2 is a view of the card folded and ready to be sent to a customer. Fig. 3 is a view of the card folded for-mailing after the stub has been detached. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the .billing card is shown at A, consisting of a strip of suitable paper or cardboard scored transversely, through its center as shown at 1, so that it may be readily folded in half. A portion 2 of one end of the card is separated from the main strip by perforations or identations 3, so that it may be readily torn off. This stub is suitably marked to form the record kept by the company in its files. The remaining part of the card strip forming the bill proper is scored transversely through its center as shown at 4, forming the two sections 5 and 6 which are suitably ruled to form a blank Specification of Letters Patent.

'PatetedJuly 18, 191e.

Serial No. 44,703.

statement of account to be filled in and sent to a customer.

An opening 7 of suitable size and shape is formed in the lower portion of the end section 6, and the lower portions of stub 2 and section 5 are ruled as shown at 8 and 9 respectively, to receive the name and address ofthe sendee, in such a position as to allow the name and address to show through the opening 7 when the card is folded upon the line l or 4.

The back of the card is provided in th upper right hand corner with a place 10 for a postage sta-mp when folded upon either the line 1 or 4. A gummed sticker 11 is used to fasten the ends of the card together when folded in either position.

From the foregoing the operation and use of my device will be apparent. The name of the sendee is written in the spaces 8 and 9 and the monthly statement of the sendees bill is written upon the sections 5 and 6, a suitable record of the bill being also written on the stub. The bill is then folded on line 1, fastened by a sticker 1l and mailed, the address written in the space 8 showing through the opening 7 After the bill has been paid and the stub detached for the files of the sending company, the bill is folded on line 4 and again fastened by a sticker, and mailed to the sendee as a receipt, the address written in space 9 now showing through the opening 7.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a billing card which is self-addressing and self-inclosing when originally sent to a customer, and also when returned' to the customer as a receipt after the bill is paid and the stub detached.

I claim:-

1. A billing card of the character specified comprising a strip perforated transversely near one end to form a detachable stub and a bill proper, the entire strip and the bill proper being each scored transversely through their centers to form folding lines for the card, the bill proper having an opening in the end thereof opposite the stub, an address portion on the said stub and on the end of the said bill proper opposite the said opening, the said address portions lying beneath the said opening when the entire strip and when the bill proper only are folded centrally respectively, and means for fastening the ends of the folded Card.

2. A billing` card comprising a bill proper and a detachable stub shorter than the bill 5 proper, the bill proper having an address exposing Window in its end opposite the stub, an address space upon the stub and upon the end of the bill proper opposite the said Window, the said address space adapted to lie beneath the said WindowT when the 10 entire billing card and when the bill proper only are folded once Centrally.

LESLE VVINFIELD GATCHELL. In presence of- C. R. CHAPIN,

R. J. MOORE.

v Gopes of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

